Radiator drain cock replacement
08-15-2017, 06:16 PM
#1
Radiator drain **** replacement
For those of you looking to replace your broken drain ****,
I overheated my engine and the excess pressure caused the drain **** to get pushed out/damaged which caused a leak. One more drive around the block made it completely fail and my (stock) radiator emptied itself very quickly. Upon searching for a new drain **** on the internet as well as every part store in my area, I couldn't find one that was identical or even a good substitute to the OEM one. I ended up getting a drain **** that was pulled up in auto parts systems as the replacement part for an 89 Firebird Formula 350 and it didn't fit. What I ended up doing was shoving it in there and using JB Weld epoxy and packing it around that area and waiting overnight for it to cure.
It seems to be working well for now, but my point is that I didn't see a replacement drain **** on the internet and I had to figure this out myself, so I might as well log this into TGO for anyone in the future who runs into a similar issue.
I overheated my engine and the excess pressure caused the drain **** to get pushed out/damaged which caused a leak. One more drive around the block made it completely fail and my (stock) radiator emptied itself very quickly. Upon searching for a new drain **** on the internet as well as every part store in my area, I couldn't find one that was identical or even a good substitute to the OEM one. I ended up getting a drain **** that was pulled up in auto parts systems as the replacement part for an 89 Firebird Formula 350 and it didn't fit. What I ended up doing was shoving it in there and using JB Weld epoxy and packing it around that area and waiting overnight for it to cure.
It seems to be working well for now, but my point is that I didn't see a replacement drain **** on the internet and I had to figure this out myself, so I might as well log this into TGO for anyone in the future who runs into a similar issue.
08-15-2017, 06:24 PM
#2
Re: Radiator drain **** replacement
Dorman offers a few 1/8npt 490230 and 3/8 npt 61102
https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...n+petcock,2176
https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...n+petcock,2176
08-15-2017, 07:53 PM
#3
Re: Radiator drain **** replacement
Dorman offers a few 1/8npt 490230 and 3/8 npt 61102
https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...n+petcock,2176
https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...n+petcock,2176
I just realized my.pictyres didn't attach, but here is the hole the OEM drain **** goes into, which left me kind of confused on how a drain **** like the one in your link would properly seal a different shaped hole.
08-15-2017, 08:06 PM
#4
Re: Radiator drain **** replacement
Looks like it's a 1/4 turn plug, you might want to go to a local junkyard instead of using epoxy.
Not sure if this is the correct part number but it should look similar.
http://www.dormanproducts.com/gsearc...=YMM&q=Petcock
Last edited by Tuned Performance; 08-15-2017 at 08:23 PM.
08-15-2017, 09:27 PM
#5
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Re: Radiator drain **** replacement
$33.41 for a plastic drain petcock? 
08-16-2017, 12:36 AM
#6
Re: Radiator drain **** replacement
$13 for JB Weld epoxy and the temperature limit was about 200°. I know my engine runs at about 230° but I am sure that the temperature listed on the back of the packaging is being lenient for liability and lawyer reasons, so it should hold up just fine. Last edited by Wickydooda; 08-16-2017 at 12:37 AM. Reason: Spelling
08-16-2017, 04:41 PM
#7
Re: Radiator drain **** replacement
Some people swear by JB Weld, but it's just epoxy with metal filings mixed in. Given the choice of a hack fix like glue, or replacing the broken piece with another that will last another 30 years, I'll fix it with a proper replacement part.
The Dorman 61109 looks about right to me. Seems to me once you unscrew the petcock open, you just squeeze the sides of the 'nut' together and it pops right out. The new one just pushes back in and snaps into place. Couldn't be any simpler.
The Dorman 61109 looks about right to me. Seems to me once you unscrew the petcock open, you just squeeze the sides of the 'nut' together and it pops right out. The new one just pushes back in and snaps into place. Couldn't be any simpler.
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08-17-2017, 12:43 AM
#8
Re: Radiator drain **** replacement
Until it is tested by a user, I'll be skeptical because I have heard they just don't make them anymore. However this does look just like the stock one. And it's frustrating that this part was not pulled up at any of the stores I went to trying to find the right plug...
08-17-2017, 01:06 PM
#9
Re: Radiator drain **** replacement
They must still make them, since several vendors have stock replacement style radiators. The trick is figuring out how to just get the petcock. Like plenty of other parts for our cars, the parts are out there, it's just a bit of a quest to obtain them.
It's something of a moot point though, since the parts should be able to be sourced from a junkyard. After 30 years I'd be suspect of the plastic tanks of a stock radiator just as much as I'd be concerned about the petcock. It's not a terribly economical solution, but the argument could be raised to just replace the entire radiator in the interests of preventive maintenance.
It's something of a moot point though, since the parts should be able to be sourced from a junkyard. After 30 years I'd be suspect of the plastic tanks of a stock radiator just as much as I'd be concerned about the petcock. It's not a terribly economical solution, but the argument could be raised to just replace the entire radiator in the interests of preventive maintenance.
